Sports in general have become extremely popular, due to which numerous attempts have been made to provide sports training aids which can be used to improve ones performance and accuracy. However, such training aids include complicated devices and/or costly equipment and therefore have not become popular. For example, practice clubs have been proposed which are used to practice one's swing, but are not used to hit balls. These practice clubs include golf clubs that are weighted much heavier than the normal golf club and are intended to build up the player's muscles. Such clubs are either weighted so the entire club is heavier than the normal club, or are weighted so they are heavier in the club head only. Also in this category, weights are applied to a normal club to make the head heavier than normal. Other clubs include various weights and weight distribution, and some of which are tied, tethered or attached to a stationary object to force the player to swing the practice club through a set pattern or path, presumed to be a correct swing for actual play. The distinguishing feature of these types of clubs is that they are not used to actually hit a ball. Even the standard club to which a weight is attached to the club head is not used to hit a ball while the excess weight is attached.
Other types of sports training aids include systems for golf practice. Wherein the user practices with his or her regular golf clubs hitting regular golf balls and further incorporate the use of nets, nets with targets, mats for teeing up the ball, various guides for position of the feet, for club path or for body position, impact decals, powders or detectors for showing where on the club head face the ball was hit, etc.
Still further examples include devices or systems wherein the user practices with his or her regular golf clubs and hits a regular sized but lighter in weight ball, such as a “WHIFFLE™” ball, or a foam or sponge ball having a weight embedded in the foam. Other examples include a ball that is connected to a lever that swivels about a pin, and remains attached to a mat or base when the player hits the ball with a standard golf club.
Some examples of the known prior art include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,121,924, 5,702,309, 5,782, 4,826,173, 3,917,271, 3,889,950 and 5,082,284. However, each of these references are very limited as they include a sponge type ball having VELCRO™ material attached thereon, respectively. These references teach an interesting theory but in reality the systems simply do not work. The applicants have made numerous in depth experiments with these references and they are very inefficient and have not been successful in the marketplace due to many inherent disadvantages and drawbacks.
Namely, the most important disadvantage within the known prior art is the actual construction of the ball itself. As can be seen within each of these patents, due to the use of a sponge the result is simply a sponge ball having VELCRO™ strips thereon. Whereby, producing a ball that will not deform upon impact, it will not retain memory upon impact, it is not a compression ball, and most often simply does not stick to the contact surface, as it is much too dense and heavy. In fact, during actual use and experiments with these balls it has been determined that they only actually stick to the hitting surface about 70% of the time. This is very different than the present ball as due to its construction it consistently sticks about 97% of the time, which is very important and most advantageous.
Also, the applicants found that within the noted references the golf-tees as presented are very flimsy and upon normal impact tend to collapse or completely break. Another disadvantage is that these references do not include a ball that when struck actually makes a very distinct sound similar to hitting a typical golf ball, such as taught within the present invention. The actual sound produced by the present ball when struck is so realistic that those observing actually look to see where the ball will land, this is very important and unique to our ball construction.
Numerous other examples include, full body vests, harnesses, laser-guided devices, electronic detectors, and the like. All of which are much too costly, cumbersome, are difficult to use, simply ineffective, they are not easily transported, and they are not compact so as to be easily stored when not in use, etc.
As is well known within the field of sports, it is desirable to hit a sports related object “such as a ball” at the proper angle and most striking members “such as a golf club” include a head member having a pre-determined section typically known as the “sweet spot”. Therefore, if a player can consistently properly align the “sweet spot” with the ball when striking, overall performance and accuracy is improved, and the likelihood for hitting a target is greatly increased.
Thus, the intended use and purpose of the present invention is to improve a users striking skills so as to increase the probability that they will strike the ball consistently in a manner which aligns the “sweet spot” in proper alignment with the ball so as to increase their odds of hitting a hole in one. This is easily achieved, as when the player strikes the ball, the ball automatically adheres (and substantially deforms and retains that shape due to compression at the point of impact) onto the head member at the exact point of contact and the user can visually determine the implied trajectory. For example, after the ball is struck the pointer thereon visually displays if the ball was hit exactly centrally on the “sweet spot”, if it was spiraling in a certain direction, or if it was simply off center. Thereafter, with continuing practice they can adjust the stroke style accordingly until they consistently hit the ball properly.
Therefore the applicants contend there is a great need for a golf training aid that overcomes the inherent disadvantages and drawbacks associated with the known prior art. Thus we now herein provide a novel sports training aid which has not been heretofore taught as follows.